3 Marketing Tips for Small Business Owners
Marketing is an essential aspect of any small business's success. It helps create awareness, build trust, and drive sales. However, small business owners often struggle with marketing because of limited resources and expertise.
After spending nearly 20 years in corporate marketing and branding, I decided to launch my own marketing consulting business to help businesses just like yours with their marketing, branding and copywriting needs.
So we know we need a marketing plan to help grow our business, but oftentimes we get caught in the reactive hamster wheel.
You’re also feeling the pressure that you need to do it all – as in MORE than the ALL you’re already doing. But, your focus needs to remain on keeping your business running smoothly and taking care of your customers.
First, let me assure you, you absolutely do not need to do it ALL. And you shouldn’t.
In this blog, let’s discuss 3 marketing tips for small business owners that can help maximize efforts and grow their business!
1.Know Your Target Audience
The first and most crucial step in marketing is to identify your target audience. Understanding your target audience's demographics, psychographics, and pain points can help you create relevant and personalized marketing messages that resonate with them. It will also help you choose the right channels and tactics to reach and engage them.
A smart first step is to conduct research, surveys, and customer interviews to gather information about their interests, challenges, and preferences. Use this information to tailor your marketing strategies and messages to meet their needs.
2. Focus on Content Marketing
Content marketing is a cost-effective way to attract and retain customers. It involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that educates and entertains your target audience. By providing value upfront, you can build trust, establish authority, and position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
To create a successful content marketing strategy, start by identifying the topics and channels that resonate with your target audience. Develop a content calendar and set realistic goals for publishing and promotion. You can use a mix of channels, such as blogs, social media, email, and video, to reach your target audience where they are. But baby steps! I suggest you pick ONE channel to focus on to get started. Once you’ve got into a good rhythm add another channel to your mix.
3. Leverage Social Media
It’s 2023 so I have to include social media as a marketing tip! It’s is a powerful tool for small businesses to reach and engage their target audience. With over 4.2 billion active users worldwide, social media platforms provide a vast and diverse audience for businesses to connect with. By creating a strong social media presence, you can increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads and sales.
To leverage social media effectively, start by identifying the platforms that your target audience uses the most. Again as I mentioned before, pick one! Don’t try to master every social channel there is. And it’s really important to think about the platform your audience uses most! That info can be gathered in step 1. Create a social media strategy that aligns with your business goals and target audience's interests. Use a mix of content types, such as images, videos, and stories, to keep your social media profiles fresh and engaging. Engage with your followers by responding to their comments and messages promptly.
Listen… marketing is critical for small business success, but it can also be challenging.
I have a heart for small business owners. You see, I come from a family of entrepreneurs! And, I want to see people succeed. I believe there is plenty of business to go around, so there is no need to hoard what I know.
I love to share tips and guidance for business owners and entrepreneurs looking to develop skills on topics such as marketing strategy, branding, and copywriting.
By following these top 3 marketing tips for small business owners, you can create a solid foundation for your marketing efforts and drive growth for your business. Remember to stay consistent, track your results, and adjust your strategies as needed to achieve your business goals.
If you just finished reading the above and you’re eyes are wide and you don’t know where to start… here’s a general action plan for a small business owner looking to leverage marketing for their business. Remember, no two businesses are exactly the same and why I say this is a good place to start:
Conduct a survey of current clients to understand their interests, challenges, and preferences! You can create a survey using Google Forms for FREE, or check out SurveyMonkey® with plans starting at just $25 a month.
Post 3 times a week on one social platform. Choose the one you found is best for your target audience as learned in step 1. You’ll want to provide value in every post based on what your customers told you in the survey you conducted! (NOTE: Selling should only happen in about 20% of your monthly posts.)
Send out 1 monthly email to current and prospective clients — this helps keep you top of mind when they need your product or your service. Again we are providing value! Check out my fav email platform — Mailchimp® — and it’s also FREE to start.
If you need some help! I’m here. I’ll listen to the vision of your business and where you’ve come from. We’ll work together to create your custom strategy and execute your marketing plan authentically. Ready to elevate your brand? Let’s Talk.
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